Fishing float



T. s. RIGBY 2,481,346

FISHING FLOAT Filed June 2'7, 1949 zzvmvrom Thomas S. Rigby maxf'akmd wmofimq ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 6, 1949 an s r" PWZIEEIMEF QEFEIEE;

FISHING Thomas Seott RigbwMiamiaFlaa Application Ji'm'e 27;19495Sriz'ilN6. 101,520

(Cl.-l43\"-49 F removin-gdtffom the 1ine or untying th'e lihe at any time ach'ange in 1 position of the-fl6at rela ti'vely totlle line is"'-des-ired'.

Another-*ofijctof the invention is to provide an improved fishing floatliaving a-- line attaching part whi'cii' so entrains tIie==-1ine-that; wh ne-the float is freedin onemonditionto"slfd along the line the float may net diserrgage itself from the" lfrreexcepf;bypositiveforce exertedih a particular directione amt therefere-==the arrangement rediices; and practicalli eliminates; the 'possibil-ity'of loss-ofi-tlih-fiat from the line A fftrther ohject' ofithe mvention is'*to' provide am improved fish irr-g fi'oat with a line en'ga'ging zpart' 'eonstructed oftworelativelir movablemerrrb'ers; one at 'least nf"'whicli -is'=resilient$with a line 5 engaging wedge slov in alignment with a line ffeeway for leoselv receii ing tlfe*1ine-to permit sliding ofithe fibat' along the line, anda constricted mouth with convergent lips leading thereto in wh i'ch the lips; mouth, freeway and wedge slotare all i in 1 substantial alignment to-' pemit the lihe to be forced throughthe lips in: the: first-instance witlfthe members: relatively spreadingntozpermitthe lin'e to pass through the constricted:mouthnvthroatand to'there'upon en ten the": freewayand isubsequently' after adjustment to herforced'zinto the we dge slot .to retain the :fih at in place'oir' the dine: an'd'in whiclf the liner thus 'rmovessin ran single direction and? in: a. right line pathx from entering'rlipsz to: wedge 51017;? and'zinewhich the line "QISOTIIIOVBS sin 1a? straight path-aimreturningf-the 1inetothefreeway and out warclly through the constrictingthroat =orrm0uth:

to xdiseng agedposition Astillfiurtherobjeetof ithe'inventionis toepro videean --improved: fishing:float as defined inthe immediately-preceding p-aragraph'- il'inWhi-Ch the: walls--of the freeway adjacentthe. constrieted= thr-oator mouth are=formedin a manner c0mple-' mentariyrto the-convergent .lips. whereby; pressure of the fishing line in a direction outwardlyiof the straight path .will reset upon such walls of the freeway to pry thejaws of the mouth apartto permit passage of the .li'ne therethrough and? the i freeing of the line from engagement .withith'e float.

In one formi-of the invention the fishing float and the line attaching part 'may be moldedsimub taneously and" integrally; of a homogeneous plas tic "materiai'ir'rone simple plastic molding opera= 2 tijoi'r' wifihont the use of*any metal .parts whatsoeter-and' witlioutrequiring any subsequent 'assem bi-j job"in attachinymetaT or other parts -to"th'e* fi'riat body; this for-'the=end and purpose-of=pro=- dueinga devicewvhichmay be madein quantities atsmaiicost 'anufloywsimme-operation; in which the foregoingi'arrdotherobfiectsirr'view, the-invention will bemoraffilljrdsoribbd *h'ere=- inafter," and: will be' more=partieularly'pointedibut ir r the ciaims appenddfifereto:

Iiitfi'e drawings; whereinslike symbbls refrto like or corresponding parts' throughbut" the" sev-' erai-vi'ews;

Figure" 'lis' a perspective view ofon'e 'form'tof *a fishing" flbat and line" attaching device as con= structed'in aecorda'ncefvvith thepresent'invention showing thPfishing line wedged into the wedge slot? Flgur'fl isa fragmentaryside elevational' view" taken""-oniarr-*enhrgadscale of a'rportion "0f *the" float andtheiineengaging parvwitwthe line-in d-tcated irr-section as approaching the convergent lips:

Ftg'ure fifis a si-milar view-"showing thesepara= tion =of thememhers constit'litili'g the line 'engaging part and the line passingthrough the"con-' stf'ftedtliroat-ormbutht Figure-=4 i's a'-si*r'ni'iar ViW"WitI1'tlielifivshbwn' entered int-o the-freeway andwith theresilient memiiers closingm'pon such liner Figure 5 is a similar view showing, the-dine" Wedg'ed' int*-the we'dge slot; and the members-- sprung-'"sl'igl'ltli apart? figure fi is asiinilarview-shbwing-the-linebe ing forced outwardl'y?in the direction of the arrow topry trie resiiint members aparti Figure8 -is-a1oa ffagmentary side elevational viw si'r'hilar to -Figure Zhht showing a modifiedform of the-inventiom -in*which" the- "freeway. is elliptial instad of circular;

Figure "*9" is 'a side elevationalview "showing a': form or narrow wedge slot 1 and tightly-closed jaws, and-f Figure-10 1s a similar" View ill'i'istratin'gcom-- pltly' cldsed forms of jaws and wedge-slot.

Referring-more particularly 7 to" the" drawings; I 0*desig'nats a float bcdygof anyaparticular type,

form' or material and I Prepresents a line-retain.-

ir'i'g shaft or-'"ste"m"wh'ich is split. longitudinally fora portiomofits length an .order'to provide two complementary" members. 12 Z and i [3' which. are a relatively'movabltowa'rd and from .onevanother and one at least of which possesses inherent resiliency to cause the same to assume the position shown in Figure 2.

Within this stem is formed a line freeway or opening I4 shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive to be substantially circular and of a diameter somewhat larger than the fishing line indicated at I9.

The freeway communicates with the larger end of a wedge slot l5 formed in the inner end of the stem II. The freeway also communicates at its outer side with a narrow throat or mouth I6 which is closed by the inherent elasticity of one or both members I2 and I3. Outwardly beyond the constricted throat or mouth I6 are convergent lips I! for guiding the line I9 to the throat.

vIn the use of the device, the normal position of the members I2 and I3 of the stem I I are as indicated in Figure 1, although the throat Himay be completely closed, if desired. The resiliency inherent in the one or both members I2 and I3 will bias the two members to this relatively closed position of the jaws I6; closed position meaning that the gap across the throat I6 will be narrower than the diameter of the fishing line I9.

As shownby the arrow in Figure 2 by exerting pressure upon the fishing line I9 centrally downward of the axis of the stem I I such line will be caused to ride down the convergent lips I! and I8 which act in the capacity of inclined planes and thus tend to force the members open, as indicated in Figure 3, to a degree which will permit the passage of the larger diameter fishing line I9 through the constricted throat I6 and into the freeway I4, as shown in Figure 4.

As soon as the fishing line I9 passes the jaws of the throat I6 the inherent resiliency of the members I2 and I3 or either one of them, will cause the members I2 and I3 to automatically close upon the fishing line and the float will thereupon be entrained with the fishing line and captive thereon except that while the line I9 is in the freeway I4 the float may be slid back and forth on the fishing line I9 until it takes up a proper position thereon.

When the line is thus lengthened or shortened the fishing line I 9 is forced inwardly as shown by the arrow in Figure 5 into the inwardly convergent portion of the wedge slot I5. For this purpose the fingers of the hand may be placed on opposite sides of the stem II so as to engage portions of the line at opposite sides of the stem and the line is thus pushed inwardly of the stem toward the float body I0. Proportionately to the depth at which the fishing line is entered in the wedge slot I5 the stem members I2 and I3 will i be pried apart which action will be resisted by the inherent resiliency of the stem which will thus cause the members to tightly frictionally grip the fishing line and therefore hold the float on the line into adjusted position. Should it become necessary or desirable later to adjust the fioat to a different position the fishing line I9 will be moved back to the freeway I4 where the float will be free to be shifted back and forth.

In removing the float from the fishing line forcemay be applied axially outwardly of the stem II, as shown in Figure 6. In this form of the invention the freeway I4 is substantially circular and the fishing line I9 will engage the outer curved portions of the freeway wall which will tend to cam or pry the members I2 and I3 apart when sufiicient pressure is exerted by the fishermen upon the line in this outwardly direction thus opening the jaws and permitting escape of the fishing line.

In some cases the float may be made with a single stem I I, as shown in Figure 1, or with twin or duplex stems I I and I l as shown in Figure '7. The intervening portion of the fishing line in Figure 7 after being engaged with one stem II is simply carried around the float body III and engaged with the companion stem II.

In Figure 8 the freeway or line opening I4 is shown elliptical with the major axis of the ellipse coincident with the wedge slot I5 and the constricted throat I6 whereby to facilitate the movement of the fishing line I9 from the freeway into the wedge slot or out through the constricted throat; it being understood that the curvatures of the walls of the ellipse adjacent the wedge slot and the throat have a greater slope than the circular wall of the freeway I4. In fact the outer walls of the ellipse I4 are substantially complementary to the inclination of the lips I1 and I8.

It will be noted that in entering the fishing line in'engagement with the line retaining part of the float the fishing line moves in one continuous straight path from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure 5 and in disengaging the line from the stem H such line also moves outwardly in a right line path throughout. This arrangement enables the line to be not only engaged with the stem II by the simple act of forcing the line into the device but it also enables the line to be disengaged by a like procedure in which the application of force to the line will simply pull the line and the float apart. In other words it is not necessary to pry the jaws apart with one hand or with some instrument in one hand and then to pull the fishing line out from the stem by the other hand. In fact it is neces sary to hold the float in one hand and the line in the other so that there is no hand left to push any part out of the way to permit the line to be removed. In the present device while holding the float in one hand and the line in the other hand by pushing the hands in opposite directions the float will be automatically disengaged from the line.

While the device may be made of wood, metal or other desired materials, it is preferred to manufacture it from some plastic material such for instance as acetate, polystyrene or some other synthetic resin. Such materials have less give and no tendency to take a set at the neck or stem portion where the spring-closing effect is so important. Then plastics or resins lend themselves to formation in one simple plastic molding operation. In other words the float body and the stem I I could be molded in one operation and there would be no parts to assemble afterwards. With plastic there would be no rust or corrosion and there would be no sharp burrs, as in the case of metal stampings, and burrs are undesirable as they are apt to cut the fishing line. The molding of plastic material will reduce the cost and simplify the operation with an attendant reductionin the cost of labor while providing a more desirable float rustproof, smooth and having no tendency to cut the line and of a very attractive appearance.

In Figure 9 the stem II on float I 0 is provided with a narrow wedge slot I5 and a completely-closed throat I6 on opposite sides of the line freeway W.

In Figure 10 the wedge slot I5 is completely and tightly closed as is the throat H5 in the normal initial position of the parts before attachment of the line. This arrangement will strengthen the spring arm effect of the jaws at closing point.

The wedge slot may be a wide V or a narrow V or a virtually closed slot to give better gripping power on the line when it is pulled down into the slot.

In the claims the word freeway means an opening of a larger diameter than that of the fishing line whereby the float l and its attached stem ll may be moved freely along the fishing line when the fishing line occupies the freeway l4 for the purpose of bringing the float to a selected location on the line, after which the line is forced into the wedge slot I5 as best seen in Figure 5. Figure 4 shows that the freeway I4 is of larger diameter than the fishing line l9 when the stem members l2 and I3 are in their normally closed position.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved fishing float comprising a float body, a line retaining stem carried by the body and composed of relatively movable members, one at least of which is resilient and tending to close against the companion member, said members having therebetween a wedge slot with inclined walls converging inwardly toward the float body, said members also having a fishing line freeway larger in diameter than the fishing line outwardly of the wedge slot and communicatin at its inner portion with the larger end of the wedge slot, a constricted throat narrower than the diameter of the fishing line outwardly of the freeway and in alignment with the wedge slot and communicating with the outer portion of the freeway, and convergent lips on the members outwardly of and leading to said constricted throat.

2. A fishing float as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said convergent lips act as inclined planes in prying the members of the stem apart when the fishing line is forced axially inwardly of the stem whereby to open the narrow throat to permit the fishing line to enter said freeway, further characterized by the fact that the outer portions of the walls of said freeway are convergent to the constricted throat to enable the fishing line when forcibly urged outwardly to ride over such walls in prying the members apart to open the constricted throat.

THOMAS SCOTT RIGBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 179,490 Sander July 4, 1876 186,055 Mihan Jan. 9, 1877 682,954 Olson Sept. 7, 1901 2,181,458 La Gue Nov. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 81,013 Germany May 22, 1896 

